Garment closure



' 3 Smets-sheet a J. J. KISPERT GARMENT CLOSURE Filed June 10, 1943 1| l i Ill..

Nav. z3, 1943.

Nov. 23, 1943. J. J. KISPERT GARMENT CLOSURE Filed June l0, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 II Il||||\ `Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED sTATEs PATENT`oi=1=llczE Application .Tune 10,1943, serial No. 490,353

In Canada October 23, 1942 7 claims. (cre-39) This invention relates Ato apparel and more specifically to a closure particularly adapted for a corset, girdle or foundation garment but not restricted to such garments.

The present application constitutes a continuation in part of my prior application for patent on a corset, Ser. No. 400,501, filed June 30, 1941, and a continuation of my prior application for patent on a corset, Ser. No. 479,259, filed March 15, 1943.

One object of the invention is to provide a garment of this character with improved closure means consisting of soft portions adapted to be drawn toward each other by laces engaged with hooks carried by reinforcements extending along margins of the closure portions, said reinforcements constituting soft stays for the garment as well as serving as ilexible hook carriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide closure portions of the garment with stays which are formed entirely of soft fabric or other suitable material and so stitched that While the stays will remain pliable, they will have sumcient stiffness to reinforce marginal portions of thegarment along an opening at the front, back or side thereof and cause the garment to exert4 confining pressure to portions of the body against which they bear.

Another object of the invention is to provide the improved stays with lacing hooks so mounted that they are embedded in the stays, the stays being provided with lines of stitching extending transversely of the stays in such relation to the hooks that each hook has its shank confined in a pocket which tapers toward its outer end. It will thus be seen that the stitching defines pockets in which the hooks are located and, since portions of the stitching ex-v tend transversely across the stays at opposite sides of each hook, the stays will be greatly reinforced without impairing the flexibilitythereof and the garment will be very comfortable.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide thel garment with stays which reinforce the same and, while permitting the abdomen to be compressed and uplifted, will not apply pressure at their ends to' the abdomen andy cause discomfort when a person wearingthe garment t leans over or is in a sitting position.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. l is a front elevation of a corset provided with a closure of the improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the edges.

lacing released and a closure flap partially turned outwardly.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged yscale looking at the router face ofthe improved stay.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view' of the improved Stay With portions thereof in section and por' tions broken away. v .Y

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-5'of Fig. 1j. i l

Fig, 6 is a fragmentaryl sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a hook.

Fig. 8 is a view of a corset having its lacing stays reinforced with a modified arrangement of stitching.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary'lview of the corset illustrated in Fig. 8.

`Fig. 10 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line I0-I0'of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 lis av view similar to'Fig. 9,showing another lmodified arrangement 'lof reinforcing stitching for the lacing stay.

In Fig. 1, there has been shown agarment having a front closure of the improved construction. This garment has been illustrated as a girdle, but it is to be understood that it'may be a corset or any other garment. It is'also to be understood that While the girdle has been shown .open at the front, it may be openv at the back or along a side 'and that said opening may extend the full length of the garment or for only a portion of its length.

The garment illustrated is provided with outer closure flaps 2 whichl are drawn tightly into place across innerrilaps or closure portions `3 by laces 4 and 5, and have smooth compressing engagement with the inner flaps when the laces are tightened 'and secured. jIf desired, the inner flaps 3 may be omitted, or a shielding strip or sheet of thin fabric substituted in lieu thereof and sewed along one or both of its side Also, instead 'of providlng' 'separately formed closure flaps 2 and sewing them to side edges of the body of the garment by seams 6, the closure flaps may constitute portions of tl... garment body at opposite sides of the opening.

The important features of this improved garment are the closure Vflaps or equivalent portions' of the garment body and the stays 1 which extend along their free side Aedges and constitute reinforcements for the closure elements as well as carriers forv the hooks 8 with which the laces 4 are engaged when the garment is applied and tightened about the wearer. The hooks are from the strip also edges of the stay.

.passed through the strip and lclinched to firmly hold the hook to the strip. 'I'he hooks extend transversely of the strip and their free end portions, which are bent to form bills II, project fromv the outer free side The strip -9 is enclosed in a casing I2 formed from a folded strip of fabric and this casing 'is held to the strip 9 by one or more lines of stitching I3 extending longitudinally thereof near its inner side edge. Openings I4 are formed at the fold line of the cas- I2 and the hooks project outwardly through these openings, as shownclearly in Figs. 4 and 5. While the hooks have beenv shown as formed of sheet metal, it is to be understood that they 4may be formed of wire or other suitable material and provided with eyes to receive staples or equivalent fastening means, instead of the tongues III. l

Before the core, formed of the hook-carrying strip I and its casing I2, is applied to the closure flap 2 or equivalent portion of the garment, the free side edge portion of the flap is fplded inwardiy back upon itself, as shown at I5, to form a smooth and ravel-proof outer side edge for the closure flap and a facing I3 of double thickness, formed from a folded strip of fabric, is then placed against the fold I5 to which it is sewed by stitching I9, the fold I5 and facing I8 being flattened out during the stitching operation and then refolded. 'I'he core is then set in place between fold I5 and the facing with-the hooks projecting outwardly through spaced openings in the stitching and lines of stitching I8 passed through the flap 2 and inner side portions of the core and facing to firmly hold these elements together. Before the closure flap, core and facing are sewed to each other by the lines of stitching I1, the

" companion lacing 4 is applied with its inner end portion folded to engage transversely about the core and tucked between the fold I5 and body of the closure flap. The smooth and unbroken outer side edge of the facing I6 formed by the fold or crease in the fabric strip from which the facing is formed, is disposed flush with the folded outer side edge of the closure flap and the closure will Athus be provided with a smoothly finished edge.

Stitching constituting a main feature of the improved construction, is then applied.

This stitching, indicated in general by the numeral I9, extends diagonally back and forth across the stay between the hooks, as shown at 20, and between the diagonally` extending portions 29 of the. line of stitching are other portions 2 I and I 22 which extend longitudinally of the stay, the

inner longitudinally extending portions 2I being near the inner side edge of the strip 9 and its casing I2 and the o uter longitudinally extending portions 22 being close tothe folded outer side edges of the closure flap and facing I6. Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the portions 20 of the line ofA stitching I9 extend transversely across the stay at opposite sides of the hooks in such diagonal relation to each other that each hook is disposed between lines of stitching 2li which converge outwardly fromends of the stitching 2I to ends of the stitching 22. These outwardly converging lines of stitching 29 serve to reinforce the stay without interfering with longitudinal flexing thereof and coop.-

erate with each other to divide the stay into transversely extending pockets 23 in which the hooks.

minimum any danger of the hooks being dragged outwardly from. the pockets and, since the portions 22 of the stitching terminate in spaced relation to each other at opposite ,z aides'ofA outer ends of the pockets, the outer ends'for mouths 24 of the pockets will be left open to accommodate the shanks of the hooks occupying the pockets. It will thus be seen that the stays will be greatly reinforced but still have pliability to permit them to be somewhat distorted when the lacings are tightened and also prevent lower ends of the stays from digging into a persons abdomen when assuming a stooping or sitting position.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings. there has been illustrated a modified embodimentl of the invention. The corset 25 may be of conventional formation and has inner closure flaps 26 carrying interengaging fasteners 21 for connecting the flaps with each other when the garment is applied. The closure portions 23 of the garment may be in the form of outer flaps or constitute portions of the body of the garment and, along their free side edges, are provided with flexible stays 29 corresponding to the stays 1. Each stay 29 has a core consisting of a strip of -fabric 30 carrying lacing hooks 3i, which have been shown formed of bent wire and stapled or otherwise firmly secured to the core and a casing 32 of fabric corresponding to the casing I2 and stitched to the strip 30. The marginal portion of the closure 28 is folded inwardly, as shown at 33, and at the opposite side of the core is a facing strip 34 formed of a folded str ip of fabric corresponding to the facing I6 and secured near its inner side edge by lines of stitching 35. In these respects, the flexible stay is similar in construction to that illustrated in Figs. 1 through 7, except that the hooks are formed of bent wire strands instead of being formed of sheet metal.

The stitching 36 is, however, somewhat different from the vcorresponding stitching I9. This stitching 36 has portions 31 extending diagonally across the stay, and upon reference to Fig. 9, it will be seen that While the stitching I9 and the stitching 36 both follow zig zag paths back and stitching extendingback and forth across the stay vin a zig zag path with the portions at opposite extends along the sides of the hooks extending diagonally. 'I'he stays are thus greatly reinforced, but pliable, and the hooks will be firmly held tothe stays and prevented from being easily torn loose when subjected to strains.

In Fig. 11 there has-been shown a corset or similar garment 39 having companion inner'closure portions 4I) and outer closure portions 4I corresponding to the closure portions 28 and 29. A flexible or pliable stay 42, formed of fabric, outer free side edge of the outer closure portion 4I and carries hooks 43 which may be formed of wire, sheet metal, or other suitable material. The stay 42 is of the same construction illustrated and described heretofore -except that the line of stitching 44 corresponding to the stitching I9, has the portions cated, the diagonally extending portions 31 ofA 45 extending transversely across the stay between ends of the portions 46 and 41, disposed at right angles to the length of the stay instead of diagonally Aacross the stay. This stitching follows a zig zag path back and forth across the stay and reinforces the stay as well as dividing it into a plurality of portions, each of which carries a lacing hook.

It has been found that having the stitching follow a zig zag path back and forth across the stay so as to divide it into distinct portions each carrying a hook, greatly strengthens the stay, preventing wrinkling thereof, and eliminates likelihood of the hooks being torn loose from the stay; and also permits the stay to bend in all directions and makes the corset more comfortable as it may be laced right to the bottom Aof the `abdomen and hold the abdomen compressed and uplifted without the lower end of the stay digging into the abdomen when a person wearing the corset is seated or bending over. Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a garment, companion closure portions having free outer side edges, stays formed of `soft pliable material mounted along the outer side edges of said closure portions, facing strips covering said stays, lacing hooks carried by said` stays and projecting outwardly from the stays and the facing strips, and lines of stitching for reinforcing the stays extending transversely and diagonally`across 'the stays between the hooks and dividing the stays into transversely extending portions each carrying a' hook.

2. In a garment, companion closure portions having free outer side edges, stays formed of soft pliable material mounted along the outer side edges of said closure` portions, facing strips covering said stays, lacing hooks carried by said stays and projecting outwardly from the stays and the facing strips, and lines of stitching having portions'extending back and forth across the stays between the hooks' to reinforce the stays and divide themA into transversely extending portions, each carrying a hook.

3. In a garment'including closure portions nory mally `spaced from each other and each having a free-side edge, stays extending along said free side edges of said closure portions, said staysv being formed of soft pliable material, lacing hooks carried by said stays and projecting outwardly therefrom, and lines of stitching for reinforcing the stays extending transversely and diagonally across the stays with the hooks each located between a pair of transversely extending lines of stitches, the lines of stitches at opposite sides .of each hook converging toward their outer ends and dividing the stays into hook-carrying portions each tapered toward its outer end. g

4. In a garment, companion closure portions having free outer side edges, staysformed of soft pliable material mounted along theouter side edges of said closure portions, facing strips covering said stays, lacing hooks carried by said staysand projecting outwardly from the stays and the facing strips, and lines of stitching for reinforcing the stays having portions extending longitudinally of the stays in staggered relation to each other and other portions extending transversely and diagonally across the stays between ends of the longitudinally extending portions and dividing the -stays into pockets tapered toward their outer ends and in which the hooks are located.

5. In a garment, closure portions normally spaced from each other and having inturned folds along their free side edges, soft pliable stays along the free edges of said closure portions, each stay having a core of soft pliable material enclosed in an envelope of soft pliable material, hooks carriedv by the core and projecting from the outer side edge thereof and beyond the free side edge of the companion closure portion, a facing for said core formed from a folded strip of'soft pliable material, the core and facing being secured by longitudinal lines of stitching passing -through their side edge portions, and lines of stitching for reinforcing said stays having inner and outer portions extending longitudinally of the stays and'other portions extending transversely across the stays between ends of the longitudinal stitching .and dividing the stays into pockets each having a hook therein.

6. A closure for corsets and similar garments, having a pair of cooperating naps, a lacing hook mounting in each of said flaps, said mounting including a fiexible tape, hooks mounted on said tape at spaced intervals, reinforcing fabric folded upon itself to surround the outer edge and sides of said tape, said fabric having apertures along its fold to accommodate said hooks, a line ofy stitching securing the inner edges of said tape and said reinforcing member to said flap, and a line of stitching passing through said tape, said reinforcing fabric and said ap and following a member, hooks mounted on said exible member,

a reinforcing member surrounding said flexible member and stitched thereto, an outer layer of fabric on either side of said reinforcing member, and a line of zig zag stitching between and around said hooks to maintainsaid exiblemember, reinforcing member and ycovering material in. proper relation.

JOSEPH J. REPERT. 

